AOII hosts Run for Roses 5K to raise awareness for arthritis

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For the past 17 years, the sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi have held the “Run for Roses” 5K fundraiser to support their national philanthropy, The Arthritis Foundation.

This year the event was co-run by philanthropy chairmen Steffie Rosene and Haylee Runyan. Rosene described how joining this sorority inspired her to learn more about arthritis, and eventually take charge of the event.

“I had never put a lot of thought into this cause until I became an AOII, and then just kind of seeing all the girls around me rally behind this cause and learning all about it made me passionate about it too," Rosene said. "It’s a really cool way to support my chapter.”

Rosene noted arthritis is an incurable disease and the number one cause of disability in the United States, and attributed this as the reason why the sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi are so passionate about it.

Before the run began, Lendria Glass, a member of the Arthritis Foundation of Alabama come and speak to the crowd.

Glass has been with the Arthritis Foundation for 3 years. She shared several facts with the runners and volunteers, including how 5 million children in Alabama are affected with arthritis. She said how amazing it was to be teamed up with AOII for this event

“It has been wonderful! It’s refreshing just to see how well the girls work, especially the philanthropy chairs," Glass said. "I mean basically they’re doing what my job is, and they’re doing it all while taking college classes, which is amazing and inspiring.”

For some, the Run for Roses meant even more than others. Haley Arnold, a senior in media studies and member of AOII, was diagnosed with Lyme Disease last year. Lyme disease is an autoimmune disease that greatly affects the joints. For Arnold, that led to a development of arthritis in several joints including her knees, wrists and lower back.

Arnold emphasized how much she appreciates the support from her AOII sisters.

“Through this whole process, my friends in AOII have been unbelievably supportive, giving me a helping hand with any struggle I have ever had. I am so thankful to be in a sorority that supports something I did not even know would directly affect me in the future,” Arnold said.

Arnold said the Arthritis Foundation and Run for Roses bring positivity to something that at times can be very dark and that she is grateful to be a part of that.